Page 11 of Stealing Kisses

“You won’t be the only one there.” Baylin put the truck in reverse and eased out of the garage.

“Maybe not, but I’ll probably be the only onestrandedthere.”

“In which case,” she pointed out, “plenty of people will be happy to take you wherever you want to go.”

“I want to go here.”

“Here is not an option for you.”

“Why not?”

“BecauseIlive here.”

“Exactly,” he agreed, causing another flutter in her chest, one she chose to ignore.

“What if there aren’t any rooms left at the lodge?”

“Then they’ll find an empty cabin that an owner rents short-term.”

“What if there are no available cabins?”

“Then they have tents to rent for pitching on the campground.”

“You have an answer for everything, don’t you?” he asked in a backhanded-compliment kind of way. Teddy had tried to sound galled, but the ever-present smile in his eyes gave away his good humor.

“Yes,” Baylin agreed. “Yes, I do.”

He shook his head from side to side with an indulgent laugh, but he didn’t comment.

She won. Theodore Gwenn had run out of questions, complaints, and requests.

They rode in peace and quiet as Baylin drove past the O’Casey Farm sign, turned onto the farm-to-market road bordering her land, and headed toward Teddy’s car so he could retrieve his bags and belongings.

She’d claimed victory too soon; his silence lasted only until she’d pulled up behind his vehicle…Boxy.

“How much are they going to charge?”

“I guess that depends on which accommodation you have to settle for,” she answered.

“What if I can’t afford it?”

Teddy had turned to face Baylin in the cab of her beat-up old truck. Baylin faced the windshield, which provided a perfectview of the sleek red race car, illuminated by the headlights she’d left on high beam.

Even at night, the fancy two-seater screamedI’m a rare treasure!Baylin’s eyes skimmed the back fender, the bumper, the exposed seats. She couldn’t find a smudge, much less a blemish.

“I’m going to go out on a limb and say you can find the funds if you try hard enough.” She pinned him with a direct look, lifting a sarcastic eyebrow for effect.

“You might be right,” he conceded with a slight bow of his head. “Icanpay. In fact, I’m willing to pay… I’m willing to pay to stayhere.”

For the first time since their mock argument began, Teddy had Baylin’s full, undivided attention. And the scoundrel knew it. She could tell.

In a split second, the gleam in his eyes brightened, and he doubled down his efforts to charm and convince her to join his side, to sweet-talk Baylin until she agreed with his way of thinking.

“It’s going to be a few days before Boxy is road ready. That many nights will add up in rental fees. I’d sure rather those fees go to O’Casey Farm than anywhere else. I’ll get my bags from the car; it’ll take me a minute to put her cover on for the night. Be right back.” Teddy tossed a quick wink in her direction before exiting the truck.

She watched him move in the spotlight of her truck. He took a backpack and a duffel bag from the car, lucky her’s was the road less traveled and his possessions were sitting in his passenger seat after half the afternoon, all evening, and a few hours in the dark of night. After setting the bags on the road between their vehicles, he pulled a folded tan canvas from behind the seats, unfolded it with meticulous accuracy, and secured an industrial-sized elastic strap below the base ofthe car’s body. Then he pocketed the keys, picked up his stuff, and returned to the truck. He set both his bags in the bed and climbed into his seat.

“Does that cover have a locking mechanism?”

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